Artist Statement

“We are what we think,

All that we are arises with our thoughts.

With our thoughts we make the world.

~Dhammapada

Mantras, mandalas, and meditation are tools I use to calm my thoughts. Mantras are prayers or words that are repeated over and over again. Repeating them over and over can ingrain them into mind and thought. Mandalas are visual tools that can aid in meditation. These are the tools I use to visualize meditation in my oil paintings.

In my earlier paintings, I took the idea of chanting or meditating on mantras and visualized them onto a flat surface. When chanting “Om”, the word resonates until it is no longer recognized as the word “Om”. As I painted, the words changed into lines of color. Like the resonating sound of a chant, it is no longer distinguished as a word, but lines on painting.

As the paintings have progressed, I simplified the images to the basic circle and square of a mandala and incorporated the lotus. In Buddhism, the lotus symbolizes the purity of mind, body and spirt. Though the images have simplified, the repetition of the mantra still flows in and out of my paintings.

Through painting mantras and mandalas, I have created my own way of meditating. As my paintings progress, I hope to grow and reach my own personal enlightenment.

-Nancy Fritz

Some original pieces are available for purchase. Please e-mail inquires here.